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Duncan City Hall
Heritage Restoration
In cooperation with the city of Duncan, BC , Lennox Masonry has now undertaken the heritage restoration of Duncan's City Hall.
History
Located at the intersection of Kenneth Street and Craig Street, Duncan, BC's city hall is one of just a few remaining heritage masonry structures native to Duncan. It was originally built in 1913 and was utilized as a Federal Building and Post Office until 1958 when the building was no longer in use. In fact, there are still bank vaults remaining on the bottom floor. Unfortunately, due to neglect, the building fell into disrepair and was set for demolition until then Mayor Ken Paskin set out to restore the structure in 1974 with the intention of converting it into a city hall.
Fast forward 50 years later and the masonry components of the city hall, including the sandstone and brick, are in dire need of restoration. And this is where Lennox Masonry's story intersects with the history of a historical landmark!
Vision
The exterior of Duncan's City Hall consists mainly of brick and sandstone, and both receive a large amount of weathering with each passing year. When the building underwent its major renovation in 1974, the sandstone was painted over to prevent it from eroding any further. Unknown at the time was that using acrylic, latex, and plasticized paints, would only increase the erosion. Masonry needs to breathe as fully and deeply as possible in order to expel moisture and fluctuate with the seasons. Painting stone and brick is akin to constantly wearing a face mask: the quality of air is greatly diminished and overtime it will affect the whole of a structure.
Approach
Lennox Masonry has been tasked with removing the existing paint through a very delicate and precise removal method of blasting the paint with low air and water pressure in combination with shards of dolomite. We will then be repointing and restoring the masonry by mixing traditional mortars which consist of quicklime as a binder, as well as patching areas of the sandstone which have eroded over the years. The final phase will consist of applying a Limewash over the sandstone in order to help the building breathe once again.
Media
Stay tuned for photos and videos which will encapsulate the process of restoring a historical masonry structure in Duncan, BC with Lennox Masonry!
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